Best/Easiest webcam to get into astrophotography?

[Samibotss]

So up until now I have been doing moderate astrophotography with anything but dedicated equipment. I thought I might step up my game and actually

buy a dedicated camera, but I'm not really into the idea of spending upwards of 600$ for a DSLR which I'm basically only going to use for this(Maybe Later)

So I thought maybe a webcam could do,like a microsoft lifecam hd-3000 or something like that. Any suggestions for something that doesn't take too much

tinkering and is wallet-friendly?

[Xplode]

Today i'd say a webcam is pointless compared to other cheap options.  A webcam needs a lot a tinkering to use (lens removal/adapters/telescope connection) and it won't give you the ability to take long exposures.

The camera that will give you the best images for your money is the Canon 1100D, it's very cheap used and gives you much better pictures than any webcam, it also has a much larger sensor + liveview so focusing and finding your target will be much easier.

[Samibotss]

19 minutes ago, Xplode said:

Today i'd say a webcam is pointless compared to other cheap options.  A webcam needs a lot a tinkering to use (lens removal/adapters/telescope connection) and it won't give you the ability to take long exposures.

The camera that will give you the best images for your money is the Canon 1100D, it's very cheap used and gives you much better pictures than any webcam, it also has a much larger sensor + liveview so focusing and finding your target will be much easier.

Thank you but I don't consider 999$ as cheap  It is true I didn't realise but I can't take long exposures with webcams... Anyways any other suggestions that are wallet-friendly?

[furrysocks2]

I'm deliberately avoiding DSLR, megapixels and the inevitable costs involved - trying to keeping it modest for now. One of my favourite images on this forum is here, because it was taken with a £20 camera and a £5 capture dongle.

 

I think I have one of these, or perhaps an older model: ebay smart webcam 2mp. No tinkering at all, it just slots right in - tested well on the Moon through my 8" scope, or 3" version here. No planets so far. Never seen a star through it, though.

Some webcams, if you're going to modify one, already have an M12 lens mount, and you can use one of these M12-1.25 adaptors, helping keep tinkering to a minimum. Benefit is you can use standard 1.25" filters, you can't with the one above. Others, you can hot-glue a cut down film canister which fits fairly well.

My next purchase is one of these to play with: AR0130 USB camera though what for, I don't know yet. There are a few "8MP" and "12MP" clip-on, barrel shaped webcams on ebay/etc that look like them might slit into the focuser quite neatly, with a tiny 1/4.5" sensor - figure they might help me get close in to planets in my scope without additional optics, I don't know.

 

Plenty answers and opinions in response to the same question on here if you search. It depends what scope you've got (or are yet to buy) and what you want to look at.

[riklaunim]

22 minutes ago, furrysocks2 said:

I think I have one of these, or perhaps an older model: ebay smart webcam 2mp. No tinkering at all, it just slots right in - tested well on the Moon through my 8" scope, or 3" version here. No planets so far. Never seen a star through it, though.

No-name cheap cameras in general aren't worth the money if you want the best quality possible (alongside good software and driver support).

And 8 or 12MPix magic webcams are usually a big lie.

[furrysocks2]

1 minute ago, riklaunim said:

No-name cheap cameras in general aren't worth the money if you want the best quality possible (alongside good software and driver support).

And 8 or 12MPix magic webcams are usually a big lie.

Agreed - "buy cheap buy twice", but it's not a lot of money for not a lot of tinkering.

[Squiddy]

I don't know how the second hand market is where you live, but here you can get a used Canon 1000D in good condition for something around £100. Isn't that cheap enough...

[Xplode]

10 hours ago, Samibotss said:

Thank you but I don't consider 999$ as cheap  It is true I didn't realise but I can't take long exposures with webcams... Anyways any other suggestions that are wallet-friendly?

$999? You could probably get 5-10x 1100D's for that price.

You should be able to get one for 100-150 EUR depending on the market in your country.

[ronin]

Part of the problem is that a webcam produces a video, a DSLR (or astro cam) will produce a long exposure image. The 2 options are used seperatley and I can think of no overlap.

Webcam first.These are used for planets and usually in a Mak or SCT. You get the planet in the centre on the chip and take a 60 second exposure at 30fps. That gives you about 1800 frames, these are put into Resistax or AS2. These will then need a "good" frame then they match say the best 250 frames to this "good" frame. You then stack and process this stack for a better image. Will say that to my thinking there are not many planets to image. Most reasonable webcams can be used but thearea of application is limited.

Astro Cam: DSLR or dedicated: These take say 1 exposure of 40 seconds each, you get say 30 of these and load them into DSS to stack. This is used for DSO imaging. The sort of first ZWO that did this was the ASI 120.

The problem is no real overlap.

The ZWO cameras are capable of each but you have small sensors, equally so does a webcam anyway, and cost may be outside what you expect. HAve not looked but new I would guess at around £120-140. Equally a DSLR comes to buying, and possibly later converting and the total cost may come to a lesser cost ZWO camera at the end. DSLR will need T-rings and spacers and also an intervalometer, not too bad but they add to the cost. A webcam needs a laptop or notebook.

There was a Philips webcam that could be flashed to take long exposues, but not aware of any other webcam that will enable this. The Philips one has been out of production now for some years.

The ZWO cameras do at times appear on the used market, people get the ASI 120 then upgrade to say the newer ASI 10 that came out recently. So a fair chance of eventually finding one from that side, Sending to Switzerland is another matter.

[happy-kat]

What is it that you hope to image? A webcam is great for planets but rubbish on dso. A dslr is great on dso and some are good for planets like the canon 550d second hand due to its video mode options.

[DorsetBlue]

I am wondering if the OPs use of 'webcam' might be covering cameras such as the GPCAM, QHY5, Lodestar etc? These can be used with stacking software like DSS or can also use live stacking using Sharpcam or StarLight Live and can also take video for planets.  The quality for DSO is not comparable to DSLR long exposures but is good for Video Astronomy/EAA.

[Joseki]

Yep as above it depends on what the OP wants to image. Lunar & planets the xbox 360 webcam doesnt take much modding to convert and costs about £5 on ebay.  If wallet friendly means up to £100 then like others said, imo either a 2nd hand zwo camera or qhy 'webcam' is better or canon 1000d for dso (which would then need t-ring and possibly other adapters). 

[paraman]

I might be missing something but the OP's post signature shows a 3" dob which will limit most forms of astro imaging.  I'm not saying its impossible but unless were talking video of planets its a big ask.

[Samibotss]

3 hours ago, paraman said:

I might be missing something but the OP's post signature shows a 3" dob which will limit most forms of astro imaging.  I'm not saying its impossible but unless were talking video of planets its a big ask.

right now I'm with my 3" dob, but I'm going to upgrade to a bigger scope nonetheless. I'm going for everything, whether it be Planetary or DSOs. I don't like to use the second hand market But I can if no other solution comes up, and I don't mind paying 150 euros.

But as I browsed I searched for brand new and it came up starting at 999.- . Of course,when I thought of a webcam,it was mainly because I could stack it and get better results. I know these don't produce the best pictures but I thought sacking could help with that.

Anyways Thanks for the help! I'll try and search for second hand DSLRs and such and surely I'll find a reasonable deal.

 

Edit : Found a Nikon CoolPix P600 sealed for 300$ // Thanks for everyone who helped me!

[happy-kat]

Isn't that a bridge camera rather then a dslr.

[Cornelius Varley]

The Nikon cool pic p600 is a bridge camera with a non removable lens. This type of camera has limited use in astrophotography.

[Freddie]

Can you actually remove the lens from those as if not it is not what you are looking for. 

[Freddie]

Maybe a copy of

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

is the first thing to buy to give you some much needed guidance

[Waldemar]

The best advice I can give you is to buy the book: ' Make every photon count ' . It will answer all your questions and more.

[Samibotss]

36 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

The Nikon cool pic p600 is a bridge camera with a non removable lens. This type of camera has limited use in astrophotography.

I haven't bought it yet, but I'm surprised - I've seen some decent photos shot with bridge cameras in the past. I'll keep looking 

[DorsetBlue]

16 hours ago, paraman said:

I might be missing something but the OP's post signature shows a 3" dob which will limit most forms of astro imaging.  I'm not saying its impossible but unless were talking video of planets its a big ask.

Ah, didn't spot that.  However I have got reasonable DSO EAA pics using my 100mm (4") Dob tube and GPCam v2 on a Alt Az mount.  I was lucky with focussing on my Heritage 100p though.

 

[spillage]

You really need to look for a second hand canon camera if money is tight as with nikon I am sure you need to pay for software to use it with a laptop if this is your intention.

Look for a 450d 500d 550d 1000d or a 1100d as these are cheap and come up for sale often enough.